DC: The New Frontier

This book holds pretty much everything a reader could want from series collection. I mean everything. There is the story, obviously, and then dozens of interesting and insightful bonuses. Preliminary sketches, additional issues, Cooke's annotations, prologues and epilogues are all included, among several other things. It is perhaps the most extensive behind-the-scenes look I have ever seen in collection featuring both the original work and the 'bonus features.' Certainly some of the supplementary material is not all equally interesting, but I never felt that something was simply tossed in. I never thought 'who would care about this' or 'they must have really been struggling to find material.' This is meaningful material, adding value to the over all work, not detracting from it. Most enjoyable for me, the follow up issues, published years later, are included, thus providing the reader with absolutely everything story-related published related to the New Frontier. I cannot speak to the merits of the absolute edition, but there is nothing missing from this collection. The story, though long, layered, and complex, is immensely enjoyable and very satisfying. It is not perfect writing, and it does admittedly drag at a few points, but when considered as a whole, simply remarkable. Cooke handles dozens and dozens of characters, both well known and forgotten DC figures, with an almost palpable affection and respect. New Frontier is driven mostly by Hal Jordan, refreshingly written, but is able to be carried by characters I had, frankly, never heard of prior to this book. While I am a huge fan of both Superman and Batman, it was nice to see them take a back-seat for certain parts of the story. Readers are treated to a fantastic look into the iconic, yet underappreciated, hero Martian Manhunter. This, for me, was the highlight of the entire story. J'onn is as much an outsider as Superman, but his alien nature is more obvious, and so too is his insights into earth's culture. Cooke matches his text almost perfectly with his illustrations, which is a nice transition to praise his art. The simplistic, dynamic pencils Cooke provides are neither the most detailed nor exciting pencils comic book readers will see, yet I cannot imagine any other style appropriate for this story. This story is set in a simpler, more streamlined and retro America, and Cooke beautifully conveys this. Each and every hero and villain is distinct: there are no 'generic' faces here. The colors, likewise, reflect the themes of this book in an exceptional way. While a couple of changes from prior-to-later panels are distracting (Flash's eye color changes from brown to blue somehow), the reader can tell that Cooke and his colorist were always on the same page. Cooke is not my favorite artist, but his talent and style are optimized in this work, and his passion for his creation is evident from start to finish. So if you've stuck with me to here, it should be pretty obvious on whether or not I recommend this book. YES. The price is an unquestionable value, almost guaranteed to ward off buyer's remorse. This is a hard work to compare, not because it is unmatched in artistic or writing skill, but because of the scope it deals with. This is not light reading, but it is also not laborious reading. This truly is the best route to experience New Frontier. I think it is cheaper than buying the two separate volumes, and certainly cheaper than the absolute edition. Nothing the reader could want in a collection is missing. While perhaps not as seminal as some other DC stories, New Frontier carries a powerful message and is among the most rewarding reads I have experienced among comic books.

Amazing book - great condition, wonderful and amazing! This is an excellent story that takes place in the 50s 60s and beyond. Love these stories and the origins of the Justice League!

An alien menace threatens the earth in the late 1950's and it'll take every hero humanity has to stop it. Confession time: While I'd heard of The New Frontier, I didn't pick it up until after Darwyn Cooke's death. Now that I've read it, I wish I'd picked it up sooner. The New Frontier is the story of the transition of the DC universe from the Justice Society era through the 1950s to the formation of the Justice League. Pretty much every DC character from pre-1960 is in it. Unlike how things originally went down, The New Frontier links characters from DC's war comics, their supernatural comics, and their super hero comics. I knew this was going to be something different when the first few pages had The Losers fighting dinosaurs. The story is pretty much a love letter to the DC comics of the late 1950s. In addition to old favorites like the Justice League, some without their powers for most of the book, Darwyn Cooke dug up King Faraday, Slam Bradley, the Challengers of the Unknown, Adam Strange, and many others. Rick Flag and Task Force X, aka The Suicide Squad, played a prominent part in safeguarding America once the Justice League went into retirement. I loved seeing a pre-Green Lantern Hal Jordan paling around with Rick Flagg and Ace Morgan. The early days of J'Onn J'Onnz, aka the Martian Manhunter, were really cool as well. I thought it was great that Darwyn Cooke didn't focus on the icons like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, instead giving a lot of time to Hal Jordan and the Challengers of the Unknown. The Flash and Green Arrow could have had more to do but Cooke only had so much room to tell his tale. While the story was great, I loved the art. Cooke's retro style did a good job of evoking the 1950s period it was depicting. It was Silver Age with a modern touch and quite something to behold. I'll definitely be tracking down more of his work. I could gush about this book all day. Instead of talking about Kingdom Come with reverence, this is the DC book people should be holding on a pedestal. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Grand in scope, with a massive cast of characters and unique perspectives presented, this story focuses less on plot and more on people. The author uses symbols of patriotism to ask the question about the difference between “good” and “lawful.” A must-read for anyone who is looking for a new twist in familiar stories. Also, the art captures the broader mid-century style better than comics of the time. It’s gorgeous. If I have any criticisms, it can become a challenge to follow so many characters who can seem a little same-y. There are multiple post-WWII-style Tough Guy military types, and they can run together if you’re not paying attention.

The best standalone DC book period and this is the best edition in terms of quality, price and portability. Must own.

A brilliant book but only a 3 star because of a tear. Not happy. Otherwise a 5 STAR no problem. Ugh, I have been hanging out to get this book for a while, and when I heard about a reprint of this but in Absolute form, I pre-ordered it right away. Unfortunately when I opened the box and peeled back the plastic wrap carefully I noticed a tear in the front cover of all places. I figured I must have done, but when I rechecked the plastic wrap there was nothing to show that it had stuck on the front cover and there is no tell tale signs of a floating piece of ripped paper. Damn! Its a shame, because the book is wonderful. The front cover is a matte but slightly textured finish - I love it, and the internal paper is super thick and glossy - brilliant quality. And the binding is absolutely perfect. Im just pissed that the cover has a tear in it. Clearly it had been done before the plastic wrap was put on. So a word of warning - before you peel the plastic wrap off - recheck it and send it back if its ripped or not perfect. Its a book that should be free from all blemishes/tears, its a Darwyn Cooke book for God sake. A great book, but been marred by this tear - on the front cover of all places. Ggrrr!!!

Ein zeitloses Meisterwerk aus der Feder von Darwyn Cooke. Der viel zu früh verstorbene Cooke erzählt hier vor dem historischen Hintergrund der 1950er und 1960er Jahre die Entstehung der Justice League auf eine sehr einfühlsame Weise. Ein Epos, der das Absolute-Format nur verdient hat. Die cartoon-ähnlichen Zeichnungen Cookes wirken hier fast wie ein 70mm Breitwandfilm als Comic. Zu meiner Überraschung habe ich bemerkt, daß der Band so etwas wie eine extended Version ist, da hier und dort vertiefende Szenen in die Story eingefügt wurden. Dazu gibt es noch vier Bonus Stories aus der Reihe Solo und dem NF-Confidential Special sowie umfangreiche Notierungen zu Hintergründen der Geschichte. Ein Gedanke dazu, und zu Kingdom Come, dem Klassiker von Mark Waid und Alex Ross: Ich sehe mich versucht DC New Frontier als natürliches 'Alpha' zu dem 'Omega' von Kingdom Come zu sehen. Auch wenn sich die beiden Graphic Novels optisch extrem voneinander abheben, so glaube ich können sie als perfekte Bookends zu jeder DC Sammlung zählen. Unbedingte Leseempfehlung. Auch die Präsentation ist hier wie von den Absolutes bekannt hochwertig. Diese neue Auflage hat sich zur ersten ANF auch gewandelt, so zeigt das Slipcase nun auf der Vorder- und Rückseite nun die grossflächigen Coverbilder der beiden ursprünglichen TPB-Ausgaben, die Illustration des Slipcase ist nun auf dem Kartoneinband des massiven Buches selbst wiederzufinden. Während jedoch mein Absolute All-Star Superman in der originalen, schützenden Überkartonage gekommen ist, war dieses Buch leider nur in Folie eingeschweisst und wies eine minimale Beschädigung an der Unterseite des Slipcase auf. Positiv zu bemerken ist, daß der Preis gut unter dem OVP liegt.

Esta é a melhor descrição que poderia traçar acerca este livro. O autor consegue capturar os principais elementos que compõe cada personagem e desenvolvê-los dentro do contexto histórico da história. O foco é a introdução dos personagens da Era de Prata (Lanterna Verde, Martian Manhunter, Flash, etc), e seu encontro com os já estabelecidos heróis da Era de Ouro (a trindade Superman, Mulher Maravilha e Batman). A história é situada no período do pós-guerra, com o início da era nuclear, da Guerra Fria, a perseguição política do Macartismo e o movimento de direitos civis; posicionando os personagens de acordo seu caráter. Por exemplo, o Superman é um instrumento do establishment, Wonder Woman é um símbolo para o feminismo, Hal Jordan é um piloto de testes militar com uma veia pacifista, Steel acaba sofrendo a perseguição de supremacistas brancos. Em relação à edição, a edição é muito bem produzida, com papel de ótima qualidade, impressão impecável e um boa quantidade de conteúdo extra. Altamente recomendado.

È un capolavoro di narrazione e arte sequenziale. Forse non c'è da dire altro, se non che è terribilmente intelligente, rispettoso della tradizione quanto innovativo, maturo, complesso e profondo come le più grandi opere del fumetto mondiale. Vi regalerà immagini, sequenze e parole che non scorderete tanto presto. Insomma, l'ho detto, è un capolavoro. L'american english che usa è adeguato al periodo che narra (anni '50-'60), quindi valutate l'acquisto di questa versione (davvero superba, visto il prezzo; magnifica la carta, un po' porosa eppure leggerissima).

If you are looking for an antidote for the trend towards dark superhero narratives, this is it. It's beautifully drawn with superior storytelling ability, the dialogue is smart, the characterisation spot-on. The late and great Darwyn Cooke delivers in this out-of-continuity tale of the origins of the Justice League. The book manages to place the characters in the appropriate time, look unflinchingly at the era, warts and all, and still be fun and optimistic. Best Wonder Woman depiction I've ever seen, by the way. I am 100% satisfied with this product and will be re-reading.